Sunday, November 18, 2012

Paddling in a war zone

None of us wants war, we just want to live and paddle in peace.
Unfortunately some things are not under our control and we are often put in a position where we have to react to aggression in order to protect ourselves and stop the attacks.
The instructions to the general population, under rocket attack from Hamas are as follows, and the time that you have to find shelter is in inverse ratio to the distance you live from Gaza.
15 seconds is the time that people have to get to shelter in the closest situation.
So you have to always be aware of where you are and where you can run to if the sirens go off.
If you are out in the open with no shelter you need to lie on the ground and cover your head, this to protect yourself from the shrapnel that will go flying to cause maximum damage.
If you are in your car you need to stop and run for cover, if possible.
What about if you are in your kayak,
Here are my suggestions .
Always wear your helmet during war time paddling.
Always wear your pfd and keep some supplies in your pockets, eg band aids, energy bars and other survival equipment.
Have some kayak repair materials handy in case of need.
If you are on the water and you hear the siren, capsize at once.

Now depending on where you are in the country calculate how long you need to stay underwater, for example Tel Aviv area, about 1.5minutes, in our region of Sdot Yam its about 2 minutes.

How long can I stay here?

If you can`t stay under that long, wait the appropriate time and then flip over, when you hear the explosion you can then roll up again. Hopefully being underwater you will be protected from harm.
Lets hope this round passes quickly and we all stay safe.